Field of Endeavor
The present disclosure relates to the field of pipeline monitoring and protection, and more particularly, an integrated pipeline monitoring and protection system.
Brief Description of the Related Art
Pipelines are most significant mode for transporting fluid fuels, such as Oil and Gas; equally significant is its monitoring and protection from various unwanted issues, such as leakage, theft etc. Such unwanted issues directly or indirectly affect the oil and gas communities and environment throughout the world. In Nigeria alone, for instance, oil pipeline theft reduces output by approximately 15% per annum representing a loss of more than $7 billion. Due to the sensitivity of these thefts, the true figure may be even greater than the considerable 16,083 recorded pipeline breaks in the last decade. Similarly, leakage in the pipelines is great threat to environment, which badly affects surroundings and living beings around the leakage area.
Various efforts in past 50 years have been made from time to time to overcome such unwanted issues in selected regions across the pipelines path using methods or tools, such as conducting statistical analysis, performing airborne reconnaissance, regular monitoring of pressure in the pipelines, using Computational Pipeline Monitoring (CPM) software, etc. Further, such methods and tools are limiting in respect of the factors required to be monitored in a particular region of the pipeline for which an exhaustive separate analysis is made on the pipes before its installation. For example, if a pipe in a pipeline is required to be installed in pressure sensitive areas, such as in deep sea or ocean or above the hills, then the pipe is required to be tested under various pressure conditions before installation. After installation, such pipes are installed with such CPM software that is capable of monitoring pressure regularly. In such an event, other parameters relating to the pipeline in those areas may get ignored which risks pipeline failure due to the factors that may not be assumed or have been ignored. It means that the presently available pipelines are always lacking integrity in terms of risk due to various unknown factors that may also result in pipeline leakage, failure or theft at any portion of the entire pipeline.
Furthermore, wherever such methods or tools are installed along the pipelines, they are generally utilized as data collection tools or method which sends all the collected data to a specific data center for processing, which increases the load on the data center and delays the information relevant to the pipeline.
In regard to all the above problems very few innovations have taken place in the pipeline integrity, where the entire pipeline is prevented or monitored on a regular basis and that also reduces such delays in generating data and reducing load on the central servers. This is largely due to the fact that the pipelines were new and risks were determined to be low. In addition, the value of oil or gas was relatively low, at around $10 per barrel, which made pipeline theft virtually non-existent. The world today now has a far different landscape as the price of oil and gas per barrel hovers around $100. Because of the changes, the oil and gas industry is desperate to address the massive financial losses and environmental degradation that are associated with both pipeline theft and leakage. In addition, the pipeline industry is grappling with mounting regulatory pressures.
Unfortunately, the lack of innovation and effective investment in research and development to address these issues has meant that the solutions 20 years ago are no different to the ones offered today by servicing companies. Accordingly, there exists a need for innovation in relation to the pipeline integrity, where the entire pipeline is prevented or monitored on a regular basis and that also reduces such delays in generating data and reducing load on the central servers.